When Portsmouth arrive at Sincil Bank this weekend, they will do so almost half a century after Lincoln City recorded their first home victory against Pompey.
That landmark win came on Tuesday, March 15, 1977, in conditions that dominated both the build-up and the game itself. Graham Taylor’s Imps were in their first season back in Division Three after the record-breaking promotion campaign of 1975/76, and Portsmouth were the visitors for a fixture that had already been postponed once because of the weather.
The original game had been scheduled for Friday, February 18, but heavy rain left the pitch waterlogged. By the time Portsmouth eventually arrived in Lincoln almost a month later, City were entering the game in encouraging form, having lost just once in their previous eight matches.
That defeat had come at Rotherham United, where Taylor’s side had been beaten 1-0, but they had responded with a 1-1 draw at Sheffield Wednesday. Portsmouth therefore represented the start of a significant sequence of home fixtures, with Wrexham, Gillingham and Chester also due at Sincil Bank before the end of March, followed by another home game against Port Vale on Easter Monday.
City had finished their championship-winning campaign the previous season unbeaten at home, and they had continued to make Sincil Bank difficult territory after promotion. Ahead of Portsmouth’s visit, they had won eight of their 31 Division Three matches and drawn 13, collecting 26 points and scoring 36 goals.
Taylor did have selection issues to contend with. John Ward had been absent since suffering an injury during City’s 3-0 victory at Workington the previous November, while Peter Graham had picked up a slight strain in the game at Sheffield Wednesday. Both were receiving treatment in the build-up to the Portsmouth match, with Taylor delaying the naming of his side for as long as possible.
“We shall be looking at the situation this afternoon, but with everyone apparently coming through well after Saturday’s match, we might have a full squad to select from.”
The City manager was also waiting to see whether Brendan Guest would be available after the midfielder had been placed on standby for England Youth international duty against Wales. Taylor admitted Guest’s position could influence his thinking.
“If City find out that he is wanted for the next England youth international with Wales, it is likely that he will stay on the side-lines a bit longer.”
Portsmouth arrived with their own problems, particularly in attack: forward Paul Gilchrist was a doubt and former Southampton striker Alan Rogers had been brought into their squad. Portsmouth had also gone into the game after a difficult period in the division, although Taylor expected them to be a better side than their league position suggested.
“City expect Portsmouth to be a bad side to beat. They are definitely a better side than when we drew at Fratton Park, but we are looking for two more points to boost our total.”
The Portsmouth game also sat within a run Taylor believed could shape the closing stages of City’s season.
“If we can string together a few wins in the next eight matches, we can make life very interesting towards the end of the season, and also scare one or two teams who are sitting pretty at present.”
What nobody could control was the weather. Strong winds swept across Sincil Bank throughout the evening, making conditions difficult for both teams and ensuring that much of the match became a contest of territory as much as possession. The heavy rain of the previous afternoon had left the surface saturated again, while a stiff breeze blew straight down the field. Conditions were difficult, and that was reflected in an attendance of 4,648, City’s lowest of the season.
Those who did brave the elements saw the Imps begin well before Portsmouth gradually took control. Pompey were able to probe deep into City’s half, with Peter Grotier twice called upon to save from Pollock before the visitors took the lead in the 20th minute.
Pollock’s corner caught City out and David Kemp headed Portsmouth in front. Lincoln did respond, but John Fleming shot tamely and wide from a good position before Pompey again threatened through a well-worked free-kick, which left Roberts with a chance from 20 yards.
Grotier came to City’s rescue, diving across his goal to make the save, and there was another scare in the 38th minute. Sam Ellis headed a Piper free-kick into his own net, but the whistle had already sounded for offside against Kemp and the effort was disallowed.
Portsmouth protested the decision and their objections only ended when Pollock had his name taken for dissent. City reached half-time just a goal behind, which left them reasonably satisfied given that they had played the opening 45 minutes into the wind.
With the conditions now in their favour, the expectation was that Lincoln would respond after the break. Portsmouth goalkeeper Lloyd quickly showed that overturning the deficit would not necessarily be straightforward, producing a first-rate save from Fleming two minutes after the restart.
He was called upon again in the 51st minute, tipping the ball over the bar at close range when Phil Hubbard ran in. Hubbard was then involved in another promising break but was unable to get a shot away, although the move did produce the corner from which City finally drew level in the 61st minute.
Booth swung the ball in from the left and Lloyd missed it under pressure. Branfoot was positioned on the line and initially appeared to have got a touch with his head, something Booth also believed had happened, but afterwards Branfoot confirmed that the ball had gone directly into the net from the corner.
It was Booth’s second goal of the season. His other had come at Chesterfield, where it had opened the scoring, and once again his contribution proved important as City dragged themselves back into the contest.
Portsmouth almost restored their lead within a minute. Grotier had to dive forward to snatch the ball from Pollock’s feet, while a long-range effort from Gilchrist was also comfortably held by the City goalkeeper.
Lincoln were now looking for the winner. Dave Smith was moving well and controlling midfield with Booth, while Portsmouth were forced increasingly onto the back foot, even if Graham and Hubbard were not initially as incisive as City might have liked.
The decisive goal eventually came following another attack down the left. Booth crossed deep into the penalty area and Terry Cooper appeared to have a half-chance as the ball dropped towards him. As the gap closed, Cooper lobbed the ball towards the far corner, with Graham attempting to deflect it into the net but missing. Ellis and Hubbard continued the move, and it was Hubbard who seized possession a few yards from goal and hammered the ball into the roof of the net.
That gave City a 2-1 lead and brought Hubbard his second goal in successive matches, as well as his eighth league goal of the season. He had also scored in the League Cup replay against Doncaster Rovers and in the abandoned match at York City.
Portsmouth tried to rescue the situation by taking Pollock off and replacing him with young Chris Kamara, but by then they were fighting a losing battle. City held on with what the report described as a “certain degree of comfort” to record their 13th victory of the season.
The result also completed a remarkable sequence of four home matches in which the Imps had fallen behind before recovering to win, with all four victories coming inside 90 minutes. On this occasion, Booth and Hubbard had provided the second-half goals which finally ended Portsmouth’s hold over City at Sincil Bank.
For the first time, Lincoln City had beaten Pompey at home.
Comments Welcome!